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Do Spatial Boundaries Matter for Exploring the Impact of Community Green Spaces on Health?

Author

Listed:
  • Jong Cheol Shin

    (Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA)

  • Mei-Po Kwan

    (Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
    Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
    Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Diana S. Grigsby-Toussaint

    (Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
    Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA)

Abstract

Green space exposure is thought to have a positive influence on physical activity behavior and overall health. However, the literature remains equivocal, and green space measurement methods remain complicated. Using data from the Illinois Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, this study examines the influence of green space on health-related factors, such as exercise, physical health, and mental health. Moreover, we explore the methods for measuring community green space via various spatial boundaries and green space resources. The results show that combining two contextually designated census boundaries and a measure of green space with seasonality were the best spatial conceptualizations for capturing community green space. Moreover, the findings showed a positive influence of green space exposure on health outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of considering geographic contexts of daily human behaviors and green space seasonality in providing a better understanding of the influence of community activity space on environmental exposure measurement. Further, this work contributes to community planning for encouraging health-promoting behaviors.

Suggested Citation

  • Jong Cheol Shin & Mei-Po Kwan & Diana S. Grigsby-Toussaint, 2020. "Do Spatial Boundaries Matter for Exploring the Impact of Community Green Spaces on Health?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-17, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:20:p:7529-:d:429110
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lin Zhang & Suhong Zhou & Mei-Po Kwan & Fei Chen & Rongping Lin, 2018. "Impacts of Individual Daily Greenspace Exposure on Health Based on Individual Activity Space and Structural Equation Modeling," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Mei-Po Kwan, 2018. "The Neighborhood Effect Averaging Problem (NEAP): An Elusive Confounder of the Neighborhood Effect," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-4, August.
    3. Mei-Po Kwan, 2018. "The Limits of the Neighborhood Effect: Contextual Uncertainties in Geographic, Environmental Health, and Social Science Research," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 108(6), pages 1482-1490, November.
    4. Mitra, Raktim & Buliung, Ron N., 2012. "Built environment correlates of active school transportation: neighborhood and the modifiable areal unit problem," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 51-61.
    5. Yang Zhang & Agnes E. Van den Berg & Terry Van Dijk & Gerd Weitkamp, 2017. "Quality over Quantity: Contribution of Urban Green Space to Neighborhood Satisfaction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-10, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jie Zheng & Junjun He & Hongya Tang, 2022. "The Vitality of Public Space and the Effects of Environmental Factors in Chinese Suburban Rural Communities Based on Tourists and Residents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-22, December.

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